How Often Do You Need an EICR?

The honest answer is: it depends on the property and who occupies it. The intervals below are the ones that matter in practice — the legal requirement for rented homes, and the recommended maximums for everything else. If you just want the answer for your situation, the table covers it; the rest of the page explains where the numbers come from and when to test sooner.

The quick answer, by property type

Two important caveats. First, these are maximum intervals — the inspector who carried out your last EICR may have recommended a shorter one, and the date written on that report takes precedence. Second, “recommended” doesn’t mean optional in practice: insurers, mortgage lenders, and commercial leases regularly require an in-date EICR regardless of what the law says.

Where the intervals come from

EICR frequency isn’t set by a single law. The intervals come from three places, and whichever applies to you most strictly is the one to follow:

• The 2020 landlord regulations. For privately rented homes in England, the Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector Regulations 2020 set the five-year maximum in law. There’s no discretion here — it’s five years or the start of a new tenancy, whichever comes first. Our landlord EICR page covers the full requirements.
• BS 7671 and industry guidance. For everything else, the recommended intervals come from the UK wiring regulations (BS 7671) and the industry guidance that supports them. These are the source of the ten-year figure for owner-occupied homes and the shorter intervals for commercial, industrial, and special locations.
• Your last report. Every EICR states a recommended date for the next inspection, chosen by the inspector based on the condition and age of the installation. An older installation in fair condition might get five years rather than ten. That date on the report is the one that counts.

The date on your last report

When an EICR is completed, the inspector records a “recommended date of next inspection” on the report itself — and often on a sticker inside the consumer unit. If you can find either, that’s your answer.

If you can’t find the last report, and the previous owner or agent can’t produce one, the safe assumption is that the installation is due. An EICR you can’t evidence might as well not exist — councils, insurers, and buyers all want the paperwork, not your recollection of it.

When to test sooner

The intervals assume nothing has changed and nothing seems wrong. Book an EICR early if any of these apply:

• You’re buying or have just bought — a condition report tells you what you’re taking on before problems surface, and our plain-English EICR guide explains what the result means
• Warning signs — frequent tripping, warm or discoloured sockets, flickering lights, burning smells, or buzzing from the consumer unit
• After major work or damage — flooding, a leak near wiring, pest damage, or significant renovation
• A tenancy is changing — for rentals, a new tenancy resets the requirement regardless of the last test date
• Your insurer or lease asks for one — commercial policies in particular often specify electrical inspection as a condition of cover

What it involves and what happens next

An EICR is a visual inspection plus circuit-by-circuit testing of the fixed wiring — consumer unit, circuits, earthing and bonding, and a sample of accessories. Most homes take between half a day and a day, and the written report follows within 48 hours.

If the report is satisfactory, you file it and note the next inspection date. If it’s unsatisfactory, the report lists exactly what needs fixing; for rented properties the remedial work must be completed within 28 days. We quote remedial work separately, carry it out, and confirm the installation as satisfactory once complete — the process is covered in detail on our EICR testing page, with commercial premises handled through commercial EICR.

Frequently asked questions

Does an EICR expire? Not in the way an MOT does — there’s no offence of “driving without an EICR” for a homeowner. But once the recommended date passes, landlords are in breach of the 2020 regulations, and everyone else loses the ability to evidence a safe installation to insurers, buyers, or councils.

My EICR is “unsatisfactory” — do I need a whole new test? No. Once the C1 and C2 items are put right, the electrician confirms the remedial work in writing and the installation is evidenced as satisfactory. You don’t restart from scratch.

Is a new build exempt? A newly built or fully rewired property gets an Electrical Installation Certificate (EIC) instead, which covers it until the first EICR falls due — five years for a rental, up to ten for an owner-occupied home.

Do the five years reset if I get a new tenant? For rented homes the requirement is five years or the start of a new tenancy. In practice, if your existing report is satisfactory and in date, it carries over to a new tenancy — you supply the current report to the new tenant before they move in.

How often should a landlord test in an HMO? Every five years as a maximum, but licensing conditions can require more — and shared houses see harder wear on the installation, so inspectors often recommend shorter intervals.

Book an EICR in Kent

CJA Electrical carries out EICRs for landlords, homeowners, buyers, and businesses across Kent — same-week appointments, reports within 48 hours, and remedial work quoted clearly if anything needs fixing. Get in touch for a fixed quote.